Researching or stealing research?

[Peasant Phill]

In the early game, I've tried keeping my scholar(s) in my schools as well as trying to steal research.
What's the most worthwhile?

[Fisherking]

Two Gentlemen per school is all you can get benefit from. If you have more than that then use them to steal research.

[A Very Super Market]

Stealing research in the early game is surprisingly effective. But as you get to the higher-tier levels, the chance of it succeeding slowly drops down to nil.

[Slaists]

Two Gentlemen per school is all you can get benefit from. If you have more than that then use them to steal research.

In my experience, 3 gents per school is the optimum.

Stealing is effective only for the first 2 tiers of research.

[Fisherking]

Usually there is little chance of stealing high level research because they just don’t get there before you do.

The one exception is stealing higher level enlightenment techs from Württemberg. They have the quickest research in the game, it would seem and build a modern university pretty early.

I have nabbed the rights of man and what ever the non economic enlightenment is at that level, from them.

Often you may wait 5 or 6 turns and then pick up two techs in a turn, or one right after the other at the higher levels.

The big trick is to find who has the research.

[peacemaker]

I find it useful to first go and grab the few starting techs (physiocracy, etc.) from the large nations and then research a bunch in one or two areas. Every 10 or so years, go out and steal everything that you haven't researched. The French, german minors (just run through all of those colleges, they're like a turn away from each other), and the Marathas usually get tons and tons of tech.

[FactionHeir]

I find Westphalia and Georgia consistently very advanced in Enlightenment and Agriculture. Only in 1 game did Württemberg actually pick up pace.

3 gents is optimum. While more still boost research, its not quite as effective and diminishes heavily. 4 is still alright if necessary, but don't go above that - you might as well put him in a new school.

Regarding stealing, tier 1 has a decent chance if you got a very good starting gentleman. If not, don't bother unless you are the constant reloading type. Reason being that you'd research it yourself quicker than you can steal it.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I used to just pile all my gentlemen into my colleges to research. I haven't tried stealing research too much, but after reading this thread I will try stealing research more often especially since more than 2-3 gentlemen doesn't aide in gaining tech speed anyway. I do use my gentlemen with dueling traits to target my enemy's gentlemen for elimination.

If you are caught attempting to steal research is it counted as negative points in the "They like me/They like me not" meter as the espionage/assassination attempts are?

[Slaists]

I find Westphalia and Georgia consistently very advanced in Enlightenment and Agriculture. Only in 1 game did Württemberg actually pick up pace.

3 gents is optimum. While more still boost research, its not quite as effective and diminishes heavily. 4 is still alright if necessary, but don't go above that - you might as well put him in a new school.

Regarding stealing, tier 1 has a decent chance if you got a very good starting gentleman. If not, don't bother unless you are the constant reloading type. Reason being that you'd research it yourself quicker than you can steal it.

Well, if you have only one school, then stealing level 1-2 techs ACROSS the spectrum adds considerably to what you can research in the same time span in the early game. You cannot be researching bayonets and naval shore facilities at the same time, but can research one while you're stealing the other.

[Obadiah]

I've only tried to steal research once or twice, but didn't succeed. It seemed to indicate that I either had a 25% chance of success, or maybe that I was stealing 25% of the knowledge per turn? But either way, after two years, I was found out and given the boot. Try this a few times (plus travel time), and it seems that doing your own research is the faster option.

Is there a way to accelerate production of gentlemen? IS there a way to "level them up"?

[Slaists]

I've only tried to steal research once or twice, but didn't succeed. It seemed to indicate that I either had a 25% chance of success, or maybe that I was stealing 25% of the knowledge per turn? But either way, after two years, I was found out and given the boot. Try this a few times (plus travel time), and it seems that doing your own research is the faster option.

Is there a way to accelerate production of gentlemen? IS there a way to "level them up"?

The key is that anything above 3 gentlemen in a school does not add anything to the research speed. So, if you have extra gentlemen you might as well try to use them to steal techs. The chance of success is small, but rewarding if you succeed (at some point).

As I mentioned earlier, you can be researching one tech while trying to steal others. Especially, in the early game, if you start with a high-star gentleman, you can significantly boost your "research breadth" by stealing. A 4-5 star gentleman will have around 40-45% chance to steal level one techs. Of course, you will need repeated attempts to succeed.

I have not seen gentlemen gaining stars, but they do get extra character traits that boost research in a certain specialization. So, if a gentleman succeeds in stealing military tech, he is likely to get a boos to his military research (and stealing). Before 1.3, it was possible to just "visit" a foreign university and at times, gentlemen would pick up character traits just from sitting in foreign universities. Post 1.3, there are only two options though: steal or duel.

[Fisherking]

The key is that anything above 3 gentlemen in a school does not add anything to the research speed. So, if you have extra gentlemen you might as well try to use them to steal techs. The chance of success is small, but rewarding if you succeed (at some point).

As I mentioned earlier, you can be researching one tech while trying to steal others. Especially, in the early game, if you start with a high-star gentleman, you can significantly boost your "research breadth" by stealing. A 4-5 star gentleman will have around 40-45% chance to steal level one techs. Of course, you will need repeated attempts to succeed.

I have not seen gentlemen gaining stars, but they do get extra character traits that boost research in a certain specialization. So, if a gentleman succeeds in stealing military tech, he is likely to get a boos to his military research (and stealing). Before 1.3, it was possible to just "visit" a foreign university and at times, gentlemen would pick up character traits just from sitting in foreign universities. Post 1.3, there are only two options though: steal or duel.

The only time that having more than two Gentlemen in a school has an effect is if they all have 4 or more stars. Otherwise two is all you can really use.

[FactionHeir]

Add more and they always have an effect, its not based on their stars in a certain research area.
Every tech has a certain number of points required. Adding more gents who have a low skill level may not visibly decrease the number of turns needed, especially for higher end techs. And of course diminishing returns after the 3rd gent, not the second.

Gents can get traits which boost all research (tenure, librarian etc) and traits that boost a certain area. Note that the trait gain for specialties is not entirely dependon on the research at that school. YOu can be researching enlightenment and getting agriculture traits for instance. This only seems to be the case for those 2 research areas tough, military gives military only (except for ancs, you can get anti military ancs while studying military).

Note the cap of 12 for any agent type.

[Obadiah]

What are you guys doing to get so many gents????

[Xipe Totec]

I always build as many schools / colleges / universities as possible even if it means dismantling more profitable factories or happiness buildings. I don't keep / build religious buildings unless the province has a high religion unrest. Gentleman are spawned one per s/c/u/ plus one per observatory so build them in preference to opera houses / museums etc. Schools are best built in provinces with many towns or with buildable internal structures i.e the observatory to offset the clamour for reform.

Government type is crucial for a rapid technological advance: Republic is the best for research and low clamour, Constitutional Monarchy is next best and Absolute is pants (high unrest and slow research rate). Beware though that becoming a Republic will make you a lot of enemies, as France found in 1789. CM is best for lowering industrial unrest and has less of a diplo hit.

If you can get your gents to the German minors early in the game there are many universities in a small area. One gent can steal a tech faster than you can research it, so it makes sense in the early game to roam around thieving as much as possible. I haven't seen a diplomatic hit for being caught, and if your gent dies on the field of honour he will soon be replaced. It also helps to see the state of research of your neighbours and enemies in an easier way than through diplomatic 'pretend tech trading'. Later in the game you should be ahead of your rivals in most lines of research so there will be less opportunites to profit from pilfering. With enough universities you can saturate the tech tree, so your gents would be better employed speeding along the key discoveries which unlock buildings and unblock other lines of research.

Technology means better ships, better guns, better troops, more money, faster growth and more fun visuals , but it can make the game way too easy (percussion shells especially). Well, we are not playing this game to lose are we?

[Slaists]

What are you guys doing to get so many gents????

Build observatories in all cities where you can. Each observatory yields a gent. + All universities yield one too. I believe, there is a cap of 12 gents max though.

[jsberry]

If you are caught attempting to steal research is it counted as negative points in the "They like me/They like me not" meter as the espionage/assassination attempts are?

Yes, but as we know, that meter is irrelevant.

[dismal]

I have tried to trade for research in the diplomacy screen, but this seems near impossible.

I have offered 6 technologies for 1 to allies and gotten nowhere.

[jsberry]

I have tried to trade for research in the diplomacy screen, but this seems near impossible.

I have offered 6 technologies for 1 to allies and gotten nowhere.

Try 7, and $5000.